The Ballad of The Apocalypse Ponies
A city is engulfed in flame.
Cries of anguish and screams of terror echo through the streets.
Malformed, rotting carcasses lie in the road and are trampled.
Crops are withered and burned.
The water supply is corrupted with disease, and runs red with the blood of the innocent.
In the distance, four peculiar-looking ponies could be seen walking away from the carnage, and...laughing.
…
“Well, that was fun!” A blood-red pegasus with a scimitar cutie mark said to her comrades.
“Yeah, definitely." A jet black earth pony with a skull-and-crossbones for a cutie mark proudly agreed. "Another absolutely beautiful scene of destruction, all thanks to us!"
“Beautiful? It was more than beautiful! It was BRILLIANT! AWE-INSPIRING! EPIC!" An emaciated blue unicorn, whose cutie mark was that of a tipped-over bowl with dust blowing out of it, exclaimed. "Did you see what I did to their crops?"
“You know, Famine, what you do to the crops isn't really necessary in the end, is it?” The red pony jokingly conjectured. “I mean, Death, Pestilence, and I virtually eradicate the population and destroy the buildings and whatnot, so, really, what would they even need crops for? Besides, wouldn't it be better to just have Pestilence infect the crops, too, so we can off any passerby?" The mare chuckled. "Sometimes, I think we should just get rid of you. A three-mare team would be much more efficient. “
“Oh, shut up, War, you know you and the other girls love me,” Famine replied.
Behind them, a green, diseased pegasus with a cutie mark of a green gust of wind, which was nearly indecipherable due to all the mange in her fur, could be heard weakly muttering a sentence that vaguely sounded like, “somepony make that blue idiot shut up”.
The four bizarre mares all burst into laughter, and continue on their path to nowhere in particular, knowing only of the destruction they would wreak when they got there. Such was the life of The Apocalypse Ponies.
…
Elsewhere, far away from the scene of carnage brought about by the four sisters, a nervous unicorn wearing a black cloak hurriedly walked along a dark forest path.
“Oh, Celestia, please don't let me be late. I don't want to know what Master will do to me if I'm not there in time...” he anxiously muttered under his breath.
After a minute or so of timid speed-walking, the young colt reaches his destination, a dark cave at the edge of the forest. Two menacing, muscular earth ponies, each wearing similar black garb, stopped him in his path. They asked in unison, "Password?"
The unicorn, absorbed in nerves and newfound fear of the towering figures before him, had trouble thinking of the phrase.
"Uhh..."
"We said, PASSWORD." The pony on the left uttered menacingly. They both stepped forward. The unicorn frantically tried to remember the phrase.
"Wait, please don't..."
It came to him.
“M-Mortem ad ordinaria,” he meekly murmured.
The muscular ponies stepped back, and gestured towards the entrance of the cave.
“Enter.”
The unicorn rushed into the poorly-lit cavern, grateful for his life. After passing through a length of the dim cave, he reached the end. An elongated figure sat leaning against the back wall of the cave, any distinguishing characteristics obscured by shadow. The unicorn was taken aback by the sight before him.
“M-Master! You-you HAVE returned!” The unicorn bowed deeply. “M-Might I say, it is an absolute HONOR to s-see you in the flesh!”
“Yes, yes, I'm sure it is." The figure replied condescendingly. "I'm still a bit confused as to why there was a cult formed for me in my absence, though. Care to explain?”
“Master, we f-formed this cult to honor you, and all that you've done to spread anarchy and disorder to Equestria!" The unicorn nervously continued. "We absolutely r-revere you, and wish to help you continue your q-quest in the future! But, M-Master, w-with all due respect, w-we pr-prefer the term 'Secret Society'.”
“Really? Well, I'd prefer to be at full power right now, but your imbecile half-brother and his incompetent release spell certainly made sure THAT wasn't going to happen, didn't he?” The obscured figure sarcastically shot back.
“Oh...uhh, t-terribly sorry about that, Master. A-are you going t-to be p-p-punishing me or m-my b-b-b-b-...”
“Calm down, Skyscanner, my current underpowered state is but a temporary effect. I harbor no ill will towards you or your half-brother. Besides, that's not why I summoned you."
"Well, p-pardon me for asking, but w-why did you, then?"
The figure sighed. "Well, as you probably could have already guessed, I'm in no shape currently to properly, shall we say, announce my return. However, I would like to alert the kind denizens of Equestria that their rightful leader has broken out of his false imprisonment in as timely of a fashion as possible. So, I was wondering, young Skyscanner, if you knew of anypony in this little "Secret Society" of yours who would be capable of assisting me in spreading the news to the world.”
Skyscanner paused for a second to think. “W-Well, Master, n-nopony in our ranks is quite th-THAT powerful...”
“Figures. You know, I'm beginning to think that your cult is absolutely worthl--”
“WAIT!” The anxious pony yelled. He cowered in fear, immediately regretting his lapse in judgment.
“Pardon?”
Skyscanner was surprised by the lack of reprimand. “Uhh, uhh, extremely s-sorry for interrupting you, Master, b-but I think I know who could h-help you.”
“Really, now? Who would that be, exactly?”
“W-Well, Master, a little while after the Elements imprisoned you, f-four weird-looking ponies began wrekaing havoc a-around Equestria, and I f-feel like they m-might be able to...”
“Spit it out, Skyscanner! Who are these ponies?”
The unicorn jumped. “Th-they go by Th-Th-The Apocalypse Ponies, sir.”
“Hmm...The Apocalypse Ponies, you say?”
“Y-Yes, Master.”
“Well...I'll have a talk with these ponies. You know, I think we might be able to spread a little...”
The draconequus leaned forward, making his features, and his wide grin, more visible.
“CHAOS after all.”
